Christmas in Deltora
by The-Nutkase
Summary: Deltora is finally at peace after the defeat of the Shadowlord. In Del, everyone is enjoying the festive Christmas season- all except Jasmine who finds it difficult to understand all the traditions associated with the holiday. In an attempt to cheer her up, Lief tries to show her what the meaning behind Christmas really is.


Three months had passed since the very first Dragon Night festivities. All of Deltora joined together to celebrate the defeat of the Shadow Lord and the return of the land's most precious protectors- dragons. The people rejoiced that their king, Lief, and his companions, Jasmine and Barda, had returned unharmed from their feats against the deadly Grey Tide, and many stories were told of their heroic deeds in not only the centre of Deltora, in Hira, but also of their adventures to rid the dying land from the songs of the Four Sisters.

The first snow of the year had begun to fall, and celebrations for another important occasion had only just begun. Children sculpted men of snow around the houses of Del- the white, rounded bodies covered in various articles of clothing. Bunches of green leaves with red berries hung from almost every door, and brightly coloured decorations were displayed neatly on houses, reflecting the joy of those living within its walls.

Jasmine sat on one of the large windowsills of the palace, gazing down into the gardens below. The tops of trees were white from snow, and a few of the branches shifted under the weight and dropped small piles onto the grass beneath them. The morning sun threw rays onto the sheets of snow, creating a white brilliance that reflected off the palace walls and the thick trunks of the trees.

Because the kingdom had at last become peaceful, Sharn and Marilen- especially Marilen- had both insisted that a great party be held in the palace on the eve of Christmas. Jasmine was somewhat irritated by having to return to the palace, even for a short time. The palace was only ever used on special occasions, she knew that, but it still troubled her. She much preferred the forge, her new home that Lief happily agreed to share with her.

'Christmas, huh?' she muttered, resting her head on her knees.

Jasmine had never really experienced such an event, as her parents could not provide it during her upbringing in the Forests of Silence. So the holiday remained uncelebrated. Lief had told her that many traditions revolved around the holiday, but plenty still remained a mystery to her. _At least Lief is patient with me_, she thought stupidly, shaking her head. All these traditions were too confusing for her. And with that thought, she pulled herself from the ledge and walked quietly towards Lief's bedchamber.

When she had reached the large wooden door, she hesitated. Perhaps Lief was not awake yet. It was still fairly early.

She had turned to leave when a familiar voice could be heard behind the door.

'So, what do you think?'

Jasmine knew instantly that the voice belonged to Lief. But he was not alone. He was speaking with someone. But who..?

Two low squawks replied to Lief's question.

Kree! But what was he doing with Lief? She had wondered why Kree had not come greet her that morning. He was with Lief, but what they were doing she was not sure of.

'Now we need to find Jasmine,' Lief said, obviously talking to Kree.

Jasmine shot up, her face flushing red. She had not expected that whatever they were doing had something to do with her!

She could hear the sound of a chair being pushed back on its legs and a large thump as Lief had surely jumped from it.

In fear of being discovered, Jasmine feverishly looked around and spotted one of the large marble pillars supporting the palace roof. She quickly slid behind it, making sure she was well hidden.

At the same moment the bedchamber door burst open and Jasmine heard beating footsteps as Lief ran in the opposite direction towards the stairs leading down to the lower floors.

She glanced around the marble pillar and glimpsed a flash of Lief's cloak and Kree's black wings descending the stairs.

In his haste, Lief did not check Jasmine's own bedchamber. She escaped into the garden below through her own window, using a method she had done before when she started her journey to the Os-Mine Hills many months ago. But this time she felt embarrassed, perhaps even ashamed of her actions. Lief wanted to show her something, but she had no idea how to react in this sort of situation.

Her thick boots sunk low into the snow as she made her way into the deeper areas of the palace garden. She didn't know where exactly she was going, but she needed time to think. She was so deeply lost in thought that a great hiss made her jump violently.

Just ahead of her a great golden beast was breathing fire onto the earth beneath itself, melting the snow. It turned to meet her wild green eyes before it lay down onto the patch of grass it had exposed.

'Ah, if it isn't the black haired female,' it hissed, 'what brings you out into the thickest parts of the palace garden?'

'I could ask you the same question,' she retorted. 'What business does the topaz dragon have here?'

Her green eyes glared at the dragon, but it took no notice.

'The king himself summoned me,' it breathed. 'He needed to speak with me apparently.'

Its great golden scales quivered, shaking off the snow that powdered its back.

Jasmine remained expressionless. She wondered what it was exactly Lief had spoken to the dragon about, but hesitated to ask.

'If you are wondering what it was we spoke of,' it said, mirroring her thoughts, 'I cannot say. It is private, after all.'

It lips curled over its fangs in a wicked smile.

Jasmine gave up. Her head was full of questions, but she lacked the energy to voice them. In her frustration she kicked the snow beneath her feet and sat on the bare earth below, folding her arms in thought.

The dragon laughed, and she shot it a look that could make even the bravest of men falter. 'And what plagues you on this fine day of celebrations?' it asked, lowering its head to meet her gaze.

She hesitated. What did it matter if the dragon knew her thoughts?

'Christmas.' she muttered, pouting.

'Yes, the very occasion is foreign to my species, but humans seem to enjoy it.' It rolled its eyes. 'I do not understand why they feel the need to give each other gifts, just because of a simple holiday.'

Jasmine stared at the beast. 'Gifts?' she stammered. Was that perhaps what Lief was preparing for her? She looked down in shame. If that was the case, she had nothing to give Lief in return. A defeated sigh escaped her lips.

The dragon looked at her curiously. 'Yes, humans share gifts with one another, to show their affection. Although the act itself is beyond me.' it replied with a flick of its tongue.

'I do not have anything... for Lief.' Jasmine breathed, her voice low.

'Oh, I see now. You intend to give the King a gift?' The dragon's teeth shone in another playful smile. 'I do want to understand the traditions surrounding the holiday,' it paused, 'So, perhaps, I can help you.'

* * *

With Kree fluttering beside him, Lief stumbled down into the kitchen and past the bewildered occupants enjoying their breakfast. A few called out to him, but he pretended not to hear as he raced towards the large double doors leading to the gardens. He looked all over the palace, but could not find Jasmine. Her bedchamber was empty when he remembered to check it just before, and he was becoming worried. But out of all the places he would expect to find her, the gardens were most definitely her hiding spot. He burst through the doors and down the stairs to the snow covered grass at its base. Coming to a halt, he scanned the area for the familiar black-haired girl and received a shock. There she stood, past a few tall trees, with... the topaz dragon!

Without hesitating he ran full speed towards the two, and his hurry seemed to disturb their conversation, as they both glanced back at him in surprise. He saw the great dragon bow its head slightly, before turning its vast body the opposite direction, and with a few great beats of its wings, was already above the trees and disappearing out of sight.

'J... Jasmine!' He yelled, grabbing her hand tightly when he reached her. 'I... what... the dragon...' he panted.

'We were merely speaking with one another, Lief.' she chuckled. 'You know very well the dragon will not harm me.'

His chest was sore from his sudden outburst of speed, and his breaths were uneven. He had not run like that in a while. He glanced at Jasmine, who was contentedly waiting for him to recover, a grin on her face.

'I have... something to show you.' he smiled between breaths.

Jasmine looked him over. The smile he wore at that moment reminded her of when they first met- the young, unknowing boy with a thirst for adventure. His features had become less rounded and more defined as he approached manhood, but his gentle blue eyes kept their adventurous gleam. She could feel her face become hot.

'Come on!' he beamed, grabbing her hand once more and dragging her back towards the palace.

Upon entering the kitchens, everyone looked in their direction. Sharn smiled as the couple ran towards the stairs, hand in hand, and began climbing, their laughter echoing throughout the room. Even the stern Doom could not help but chuckle at the sight. Although he butted heads with his daughter often, he felt warm as he saw the happy expression on his daughter's face.

After the two were out of ear's reach, the whole kitchen erupted into a chorus of "awws" and laughs. Everyone was thrilled to see their king so delighted, especially after the tumultuous few years of travel to rid the land of the Shadow Lord's evil.

The couple had finally reached Lief's bedchamber, and stood, hand in hand, in front of the doors.

'Are you ready?' Lief asked, his voice shaking.

Jasmine could see sweat beading on his forehead. He was nervous- that much she could tell. But then again, so was she. Hesitantly, she nodded.

Releasing Jasmine's hand, Lief strode forward and, using his palms, pushed the doors open with all his strength, revealing its secrets.

Green.

The colour was bouncing off the walls. It reflected from the roof.

Jasmine stared. Not one corner was spared from the plants thread throughout the room. They hung elegantly over the bed posts, across the floor and up the walls. Leaves of all shapes and sizes spread from the vines and cast brilliant shadows on the two entering the room.

Jasmine glanced quickly at Lief, who chuckled softly at her stunned expression. The plain, boring white that bathed the palace was gone, replaced by the beautiful and lively hues of green. Her gaze shifted towards the ceiling, and she noticed a small patch of red among the leaves- berries of some sort she guessed. The only revealed area was the fireplace, which contained a small, burning flame.

A sharp cry pulled her from her thoughts. Sitting on the window sill was Kree, his feathers ruffled proudly.

'Kree helped me out a lot,' Lief told her, 'without him I wouldn't have been able to put anything high up on the walls or on the ceiling.'

All the pieces had finally come together. Jasmine walked over to the black bird and scratched the back of his neck lovingly, which made him cluck happily.

'You did this all for me?' she asked, turning to Lief.

Lief smiled. 'I know how much you hate the palace,' he gathered his thoughts for a moment before continuing, 'But despite that you still agreed to accompany me, of which I was very happy. I want you to enjoy yourself, but I know you don't feel comfortable here.' He spread his arms out, motioning to the room. 'So I made a small forest- just for you- where you can go while we stay at the palace the next few days.'

Jasmine felt like she was melting. He did this all for her. She sank to her knees near the fireplace, gazing over the leaves strewn beneath her. Lief had crouched next to her and began to speak, but she stopped him with a raised hand.

'Thank you, Lief.' she blushed, 'This is perfect. I…' she paused, '…couldn't feel any happier.'

Her expression was all smiles. Her eyes glowed with delight and happiness. Neither of them spoke, but there was no need. The atmosphere of the room said it all.

A cold breeze broke its way through the window, and brought with it a few snowflakes that settled on the skin of the couple, despite the warmth of the fireplace. Jasmine shivered slightly, but tried to hide it. She didn't want Lief to worry. But he did in fact notice, and without a word, he stood and walked over to the bed, ripped the large blanket from the mattress, and swung it over Jasmine's shoulders.

He returned to his place beside her, and she in turn folded the sheet over him, until they both were wrapped tightly together, leaning on one another, sitting in front of the warm fire.

'I have something else to give you.' Lief breathed after a short while. Jasmine watched as he fiddled inside his cloak- one of his pockets most likely- before pulling out a small brown box and handing it to her. Jasmine looked over the object suspiciously.

'Open it.' he smiled, pointing to the box.

After a brief hesitation, she did just that. Inside- to her obvious surprise and Lief's enjoyment- was a thin silver necklace, with a large green gem shining brilliantly as the flames from the fireplace reflected from it. She looked at Lief who grinned fondly.

'It took a while to make, especially since I had to make sure you were away from the forge to work on it. I wanted it to be a surprise.' he laughed, recalling the close calls he had when Jasmine returned sooner than expected. 'Kree was helpful then, too. I asked him to call out whenever you were coming back, so I knew when to stop.'

Jasmine looked towards the windowsill, where Kree was innocently looking outside as if something very interesting was occurring. She smiled. She looked over the gem in her hand gingerly, turning it each way to inspect the teardrop shape.

'It is… beautiful.' she beamed, turning to Lief.

'I can put it on for you.' Lief offered, holding out one hand. Jasmine nodded and placed the necklace carefully into his palm, turning her head away from him. Lief pulled her hair to one side, and pulled his hands around her until the gem rested perfectly on her throat. After fastening the clip, he moved away. When Jasmine turned, he smiled. She looked beautiful. The green of the gem was just right for the wild green of her eyes- it suited her perfectly.

'It was a tough choice,' Lief began, 'I had in mind something… a bit different to make at first. But I was nervous and decided against it. Perhaps I will make it another time, when I feel the time is right.' He glanced at Jasmine, but she was busily looking at the gem of the necklace. She did not hear him, it seems, but he smiled anyway. Perhaps that was for the best. He looked up towards the ceiling, and at the red berries above them with a smile. He had taught Jasmine many traditions that occurred during the Christmas holiday, so he believed there was no better time to teach her about mistletoe. Blushing feverishly, he began to inch his face toward hers.

His advance was abruptly halted, though, as Jasmine suddenly stood up and the blanket fell from her shoulders onto the floor behind them.

'What is wrong?' Lief asked, stunned.

'Follow me.' She grinned, offering a hand to him. Despite all his questions, he accepted her hand and lifted himself off the ground. Jasmine said nothing, but pulled him by the hand and out the doors.

'What are you doing?' Lief puffed. 'Where are we going?'

'You will see.' Jasmine grinned.

* * *

Outside, in the palace gardens, Lief and Jasmine stood- hand in hand- in front of Fidelis, the great topaz dragon. Ropes had been tied around its chest and hung off its back. Jasmine could feel Lief's grip becoming tighter around her hand, so to comfort him she placed her free hand on his arm.

'We have flown on dragons before. Do not worry.' She assured him, but Lief only nodded in reply.

The dragon flicked its tongue. 'I asked the big guard Barda to assist me in tying these ropes. He laughed when I told him it was you who had asked for it to be done.' He pointed a claw at Jasmine.

Lief and Jasmine turned to each other. Barda most likely knew what it was Jasmine was intending to do, and they both blushed at the thought of Barda spreading tales in the palace.

The dragon's voice broke their thoughts. 'Well? Shall we begin?' It moved closer to the couple, and stood with its side facing them.

With effort, Lief pulled his boots through the thick snow, tolling Jasmine behind him. He helped her up onto the dragon's back, and with her help, pulled himself up and sat behind her. Making sure both he and Jasmine had a good grip on the rope, he exhaled deeply.

'Are you ready?' He asked.

'Ready.' Jasmine grinned.

The dragon flapped its great wings rapidly, gathering air and finally lifting itself off the ground. Lief pulled the rope tight, his arms beside Jasmine, framing her from a potential fall while in midair. His hair began flying wildly around his face until the dragon arched its body upwards and began a quick ascent into the open sky, passing through thin clouds that brushed gently against their faces. Lief shouted as a gust of wind pushed Jasmine back into him, but she only laughed in enjoyment. Jasmine was used to being high off the ground, as she climbed the tallest of trees in the Forests of Silence, but even at this great height she was fearless. When the dragon stopped quickly, he felt comforted knowing the brave Jasmine was with him and pulled her closer.

'Look.' The topaz dragon's voice boomed in the silent air surrounding them.

Lief lifted his head to see that far below them the Del palace was only a small, white blur. He gasped in surprise. In the short time they were in the air, he had not expected the dragon to gain so much height. Jasmine looked back at him with a smile.

'This is exciting.' She beamed. 'Now I know how Kree feels when he flies high above the clouds.'

Her hair was thrown across her face, so Lief used one hand to move it to one side and returned her smile.

'This really is amazing.' Lief grinned. 'I'm not used to being up high, though, as you are.' Feeling somewhat safer whilst the dragon was not moving, he released the ropes and gripped the top of Jasmine's hands.

The dragon grumbled beneath him. 'You made a wise choice, young King.' It said, looking back at Lief. To its surprise, he noticed both Lief and Jasmine wore confused expressions. It laughed. 'The gem you chose as a present for the girl. It looks magnificent due to your handiwork. I appreciate that you asked me to tell you of its pureness.'

Jasmine swung round to face Lief, who looked away with a blush.

'I knew dragons could tell how genuine gems were,' Lief began, 'So I asked Fidelis to meet with me and share his thoughts.'

Jasmine remembered the dragon had said it was called upon to the palace at the request of Lief. That must have been the reason.

'So?' She asked.

Lief watched her closely before finally realising what she meant. 'Pure as pure can be. I wanted only the best, and with Fidelis' help, I found the perfect gem for you.' He smiled lovingly. 'Something of a similar colour to your eyes.'

This time Jasmine blushed, her hand rising to her cheek. Beneath them the patchy landscape showed the prosperous earth now teeming with growth and life. Many horse drawn carts could be seen moving along the snow covered roads as the tribes now traded commodities with each other and people travelled across the land instead of staying in their territory of birth. The dragon beat its wings slowly against the air currents, but was silent. It too was watching the land below with satisfaction.

Lief wrapped his arms around Jasmine's waist and pulled her closer.

'Thank you, Jasmine.' He breathed.

She responded by leaning further into his embrace. _Christmas, huh?_ She thought, smiling.


End file.
